AKHIGBE SUCCESS EJIEMEN

Background: Physiotherapy plays a significant role in the health care system, the selection of career in Physiotherapy at the secondary school level is a difficult decision based on the information available to the students about the practice of Physiotherapy. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the level of awareness and perception of physiotherapy as a career among senior secondary school students in Edo State, Nigeria. Methodology: Descriptive cross-sectional study was used to select eight (8) schools within Egor local Government area and 278 students were selected from each class with the use random selection sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used to get information on scio- demographic data, awareness of physiotherapy, perception of physiotherapy as a career choice and factors influencing awareness and perception. Descriptive and Inferential statistics of Chi- square tests and Man Whitney U was used to summarize the data. Significance level was p < 0.05 Results: 64.4% of respondents demonstrated good awareness. 175(62.9%) had heard of the term physiotherapy, indicating a moderate level of awareness among the students. 125(45.0%) knew who a physiotherapist is, 124(44.6%) understood what physiotherapists do. 184 (66.2%) had never interacted with a physiotherapist, which shows limited practical exposure to the profession. 65.5% of respondents demonstrated a good perception of physiotherapy. 150(54.0%) agreed that physiotherapy is a respected profession in Nigeria, 133(47.8%) believed it offers good job opportunities and income. 157(56.5%) rated physiotherapy as very important in healthcare. Conclusions: The study's participants showed a moderate level of awareness of physiotherapy, though their understanding of the profession is limited. Despite the general awareness, misconception and lack of structured career counselling continue to hinder interest in physiotherapy